The present invention relates to an arrangement for connecting a cover panel for an electrical apparatus with a body structure, particularly of a vehicle, by locking bolts.
From German Patent Document 39 32 593 A1, it is known to connect frame parts by locking bolts, in which case the locking bolt is provided on one frame part and a sleeve is provided in another frame part in which the locking bolt is held in a clamping manner. These are pulled apart for the separating of the frame parts from one another.
It is an object of the invention to provide a connecting arrangement for a cover panel on a body wall of a vehicle which is secured despite strong vibrations and which cannot be dismounted in the mounting direction.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides an arrangement for connecting a cover panel for an electrical apparatus with a body structure of a vehicle by locking bolts, and comprises a cover panel that has an interior bottom side with locking rails, and bolts having snap-in heads, the bolts being connected with the body structure and clampingly insertable into the locking rails to thereby fix the cover panel while allowing the cover panel to be slid longitudinally off the snap-in heads to remove the cover panel.
Some of the principal advantages achieved by the present invention are that, for the purpose of being fastened on the body wall, the cover panel is pressed onto locking bolts, in which case interior locking rails hold the panel in the manner of a snap connection. A pulling-off of the cover panel in the mounting direction is not possible because of the construction of the snap connection (bolt/locking rail). This ensures that a falling-off of the cover panel as a result of vibrations during the driving operation is prevented.
In certain embodiments, the locking rails are molded to the cover panel which consists of plastic and extend in parallel to the wall and are arranged so that they are aligned behind one another.
For the pressing of the snap-in head between the walls of the locking rail, these are constructed so that they can be bent apart elastically.
On the face side, the snap-in head of the bolt is constructed in the shape of a hemisphere and reaches by means of its rearward holding surface behind a narrowed insertion opening in the locking rail. In the area of the opening, this locking rail has locking strips on each edge which cause the narrowing.
By way of a thread part, the bolt is at the same time used for the fastening of the electric device which is to be covered in a sealing manner, for the purpose of which it is fastened on the body wall by means of a nut or the like.
The watertight sealing-off of the cover panel with respect to the body wall is achieved by means of a surrounding gasket cord which is provided in a groove-shaped recess in the edge of the panel.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.